Not content with ad content

I own a 50” HDTV but don’t watch cable. I love movies but haven’t been to the multiplex in months. I consume thousands of pieces of content a year but can remember very few advertisements (and even fewer brands). And dear market researchers, to make your life just a bit harder, I’m too old to be considered a 'millennial'.

I’m part of a growing base that eschews traditional media channels of consumption in favor of convenience. So what does this trend mean for media consumption, media measurement and how we make (and rate) great advertising?

In a recent speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival in Scotland, actor/producer/director/you-name-it Kevin Spacey posed a provocative question,

'If you’re watching a film on your television is it no longer a film because you’re not watching in a theater? If you watch a TV show on your iPad is it no longer a TV show? The device and the length are irrelevant, the labels are useless.'

Now, it should be noted that Spacey is talking to content creators; producers, directors, actors, etc. But how far off the mark is this from the business of advertising? I’d argue the similarities outweigh the differences. What really struck a chord with me was Spacey’s assertion that today’s generation of content consumers wants quality, regardless of form, source or intention. Branded or unbranded, entertainment or advertisement, promotional or not, I could care less so long as it’s compelling, emotionally engaging and tells me a story with which I can identify.

To put this in context: in my home we have three smartphones, two tablets, four laptops, an Apple TV, an Xbox and Playstation, and the above mentioned television monitor. And we consume content on each, with very few rules determining what content on what device. Indeed, I watched the aforementioned speech on the television, streamed through my Apple TV from my iPad!

Amongst the content consumed across devices? Advertisements. Lots of commercial advertisements, content marketing and static web ads, traditional spots and targeted campaigns. And you know what? They’re mostly terrible (sorry, marketers). They stick out like sore thumbs, especially as, traditionally, advertising is rooted in key message and brand persuasion, unlike the stories they actually interrupt, which are emotional.

The ones that do work, the ones that pique my interest and cause me to lean forward, almost subconsciously, and remember them once ‘my’ content has resumed are the 5-star winners. These are those rare ads that almost blend in with the quality content I’m engaging with already. And these are the ads that I’m compelled to pass along to friends, just as I share the latest happenings on Breaking Bad or House of Cards.  

It’s here where the rules of advertising are changing. If the medium is now device agnostic, and requires compelling emotional storytelling, why are most metrics so rational and linear? No longer is it a question of whether an ad will cut through the clutter of its competitor set or whether it will keep audiences engaged enough to not flip channels. I’m not switching from Hulu to Netflix when an ad comes on nor am I bouncing from YouTube clip to YouTube clip to avoid 30 second spots. No, I’m staying with the medium but muting the content. Muting is my way of telling advertisers that the content that surrounds the ad is strong but the ad itself doesn’t make me feel anything, and it is an annoyance. Occasionally a great campaign appears, one that moves me and I don’t mute it, and watch it like the rest of the great content spread across devices, with interest and care.

Kevin Spacey finished his speech with a call to action: “The audience has spoken. They want stories. They’re dying for them. They’re rooting for us to give them the right thing. And they will talk about it, binge on it, carry it with them on the bus and to the hairdresser, force it on their friends, tweet, blog, Facebook, make fan pages, silly GIFs, and God knows what else about it. Engage with it with a passion and an intimacy that a blockbuster movie could only dream of. And all we have to do is give it to them. The prized fruit is right there, shinier and juicier than it’s ever been before. So it’ll be all the more shame on each and every one of us if we don’t reach out and seize it.”

Is he talking about art or commerce? Entertainment or Advertising? The line seems more blurred than ever if you ask me.

Josh Kamowitz is a Business Accelerator with BrainJuicer, the branding consultancy whose proprietary tools grounded in the behavioural sciences help clients to turn human understanding into business advantage, and brands to create famous, effective advertising.

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